It was quite a weekend at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships for Rowan freshman Nyla Jones from Timber Creek, with three wins, a meet record, a school record and a top-3 national ranking.
On a breezy, rainy day at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, Jones won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.35 and came back to win the 400-meter intermediates in a meet-record 1:00.42 and then lead off Rowan’s winning 4-by-4.
We’ll start with the intermediates because this was a remarkable performance, especially considering the conditions when she raced Sunday afternoon.
Jones ran her first collegiate intermediates race just two weeks ago and ran 1:02.93 in Baltimore. Her 2nd was the trials on Saturday, and she led all qualifiers with a 1:01.40, just below her high school PR of 1:01.44 from South Jersey Group 3 Sectionals last spring at Delsea.
In the final, she ran away from a very good field, and her 1:00.42 broke the meet record of 1:01.23 set in 2023 by TCNJ’s Eliza Bruncaj in Mahwah.
It’s No. 3 in NCAA Division 3 this year, behind only Ren Brown of the University of Chicago, who ran 59.25 last month in Wheaton, Ill., and Fiona Mejico of Colby, who ran 59.79 in March in Atlanta.
Jones broke the Rowan record of 1:01.33 set by Woodstown’s Molly Lodge last May in Cortland, N.Y.
Lodge won the 200 Sunday in 24.19 (No. 11 in Division 3 this year) and was 2nd in the 400 in this year’s meet and ran the second leg on that winning 4-by-4. She didn’t run the intermediates but she is No. 8 nationally at 1:01.69 from a meet in Daytona Beach, Fla., last month. There’s a chance both will line up for the intermediates at NCAAs later this month in Geneva, Ohio.
There were no trials in the highs because only seven runners entered, and one less race probably didn’t hurt Jones’ bid for a triple win. She ran away with the final, winning by five meters over Mackenzie Burke of TCNJ, who was 2nd in 15.11. Her 14.35 isn’t far off her 14.27 PR in much better conditions in Daytona Beach last month. And well under her 14.55 high school PR. She’s No. 1 in D-3 in the highs and 3rd-fastest freshman.
In the 4-by-4, Jones, Lodge, Rowan freshman Paige Franklin from Williamstown and senior Nevaeh Lorjuste from Triton won in 3:49.32, with Lorjuste anchoring in 55.07. That’s the fastest time at the NJAC meet since the 2015 Rowan team with Jessalynn Wright from Cherokee, Shailah Williams from Pemberton, Tashay Wilson from Hillside and Melirah Searcy from Edison ran 3:48.70.
Rowan is No. 13 nationally this year with its 3:48.10 with Jones, senior Jasmine Broadway from Burlington Township, Ava Reilly from Toms River East and Lodge at Penn.
As for Jones, she’s already a four-time conference champion. She won the 60-meter highs indoors at the Ott Center in 8.95.
She’s also the fastest NJAC freshman in either hurdles race as far back as TFRRS records go, which is the 2013 season.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 